World Pool Masters
Recap
Published April 13, 2026
Ralf Souquet won his third World Pool Masters title in 2000 at Thurrock, England, defeating Alex Lely in the final. The German player, known as The Kaiser, was the tournament's most successful competitor during this period as 9-ball's premier invitational gained prominence.
Souquet had previously won the Masters in 1994 over Jimmy White and again in 1996 against Vincent Facquet. His 2000 title marked another victory at the highest levels of competition. Souquet established himself among the most successful players in Matchroom-promoted 9-ball events.
Souquet defeated Lely in the 2000 final. Throughout his career, Souquet accumulated over 100 professional tournament victories.
The 2000 title was part of Souquet's extended run of Masters success. He won again in 2002 (defeating Efren Reyes), 2006 (defeating Alex Pagulayan), and 2011 (defeating Dennis Orcollo in Manila) for his sixth Masters crown. Lely finished as runner-up in 2000, one of his best results at this prestigious event.
The World Pool Masters expanded from its original European format to include global representation, becoming 9-ball's premier invitational. Souquet's success during this period helped establish the event as a top proving ground for elite players worldwide.
Sources: Matchroom Pool, World Pool Masters – Wikipedia, Matchroom Pool News
This recap was compiled from public tournament records and tournament organizer communications. ForceFollow is not affiliated with the tournament organizer.